..the hodge vs murphy could go either of two ways.. ..either he lined him up and made it look like he was trying to pick up the ball.. ..or he was trying to get the ball and was just preparing to take the ball and run thru murphy to break clear.. ..the idea that hodge [as claimed] didnt see murphy is obviously bollocks..

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..if you can't be good, be good at it..

+1 hate the prick

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also on twitter @m_j_short

Lloydy, Mooney and co and the rest of the rest of the media flogs who fap over Hodgey will be doing their best to get him off.

Mates club

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also on twitter @m_j_short

Probably reflects where we are. We gave everything, but overpowered in second half. Loss of Murph and Robbo injured made it hard, but after halftime, hard to see where the goals would come from.

Simmo terrific. I owe Brock an apology, he just runs relentlessly and has very good hands, not really the crash and bash merchant I expected but gets a lot of the ball and does a lot of link man work. Cachia is seriously tough and disciplined and has a bit of talent, is really grabbing his spot - bad news fro Bell -. Persist with Levi, has the best hands in the club, but is also the worst kick for goal, must improve that, but we need to keep playing him for where he will be in a couple of years. But Rowe was one too many tall. Gibbs was terrific but still fumbled a couple because he took his eyes off the ball. Love to have Hodge at Carlton, need a ruthless talent like that.

Like to see Tuohy given the ball more and tried in the mid. Will win a b and f at Carlton over the next 5 yrs.

Big K was very good in ruck and at ground level, but is, unfortunately, just an average mark. That spells trouble for Warnock and Hammo as none can play fwd. Bailey would struggle to get a gig as first choice ruck at any other club, so wd expect Big K to dominate hit outs.

MM may say there are no medals for bravery when dismissing Robbo's efforts, but that says more about MM's flaws than Robbos effort. Premiership medals often go to the side with the bravest players. MM's comments are not a considered coaching ploy, but rather typical misguided petulance. Still, he has clear authority and his tactical planning and execution has got us close the last two weeks. In fact maybe a blueprint for better sides to beat Hawks. They have 3 stars several really good players, 5 giuys from other clubs that address needs and then solid soldiers, committed to a clear plan. Beatable. Come finals time may be running out of steam - here's hoping.

MM, much as I dislike the bloke, is a superior coach. But thanks to our committee we have a superior coach about 5 years too late. Because we didn't look beyond our own nose to select a totally inexp coach in Ratts, we now have to start again. The coach doesn't need to have been a previous senior coach, he just needs to be really good. 8 of the last 9 flags have gone to coaches at their first club, but all had decent experience previously at AFL assistant level. We failed to look hard enough or far enough then, so now we start again, once Judd is past his best, and once all those high draft picks have come and gone. Since 2000 (Nick Riewoldts year) 3x#1s, #2, 2x #4, #6, #9, 2x#11, #12,#13, #19, #21, #22, surely we should have a flag side with that! Wasted opportunity and too many players short of a flag side now, and a rebuild will take us till when?

OK we agree to disagree

Kudos for a chase which should be stock standard from our so called leaders of the club - but then he not only let himself down but most importantly he let his team down by driving the player into the ground unnecessarily - that is a classic Waite-ism

Sorry but seen it too often from him, does the mercurial then has a brain fade that costs the team

whose fault was it then - the Hawks player for allowing Waite to tackle him

Hawks are the masters of the late bump, 101 of football knock / buffer the players at stoppages / when they are standing near a contest come in and bimp out of the way to soften up the opposition - treading on the cusp of the rules, they have perfected it by pushing the buck

we give the obvious away when we try it

Id say that 95% of non-Carlton fans would agree with the free + 50. It was late, high, clumsy and he was happy to fall into his back and head.

Umpires were very frustrating - that non-holding the ball against Hodge (and a few others) was baffling for anyone who watches a few games a week (and perhaps people who just watch Carlton).

We need someone who can kick 50m+ in the seniors as a way to break the clog in our forward 50. This approach of the long bomb that this site has lamented all year just isn't working and will not work, particularly when our only contested markers in the F50 aren't good shots for goal (on the off chance they get it).

The umps missed a doozy in the third qtr when Sewell got tackled and lost the ball it resulted in a Mitchell goal, but they were quite happy to ping Simmo in the first qtr for a shocker of a holding the ball that resulted in the Hawks 1st or 2nd goal, not to mention the soccer goal that the goal ump thought was rushed - I thought it was inconclusive and should have have been rushed but not totally 100% sure of that one but ironic we were on the wrong side two weeks in a row after Jeffy's effort the previous week

Hodge likes to throw his weight around and hurt a few people whenever the Hawks are on the back foot. He was going for the ball but was also trying to cause as much damage as he could in the process. The way his arm flared out after the contact is an indication of that IMO.

As for the game I was impressed overall despite the disappointing finish. Showed good intent and didn't allow them to play the game on their terms. Still plenty to work on but some encouraging signs.

And Mathews immediately defends Hodge during the commentary. His bias really shat me last night. And this morning on AW said he no problems with the umpiring. The only thing he could think of was the Mitchell throw and the HTB against Hodge.
And why are we listening to interviews with miked up umpires.

[/quote]
at resulted in the Hawks 1st or 2nd goal, not to mention the soccer goal that the goal ump thought was rushed - I thought it was inconclusive and should have have been rushed but not totally 100% sure of that one but ironic we were on the wrong side two weeks in a row after Jeffy's effort the previous week

Agree. Footage was definitely inconclusive, should've gone back to goal umpires call of rushed behind! Cannot understand the review system!

Was really impressed with the boys last night. Some of the kids get a hard go on this forum. But happy with the whole teams effort last night. Was a big change from the usual 10 goal drubbing.

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Chris Judd: 'I've since watched some Steven Seagal movies and realise pressure points are no laughing matter.'

Matthews was rated the greatest footballer ever - he was also one of the greatest thugs of all time re Bruns, Cable, Hunter etc - a leopard never changes his spots, once a thug always a thug, he would have taken great joy in seeing a Hawks player inflicting an injury against the opposition

Curly Austin

That was a disgrace. They actually asked him if he thought Carlon were coming back into the game.

Just another thing that's shit about today's footy

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#DonTheStash

Hodge looked up a split second before contact and could done something different - but he is well on the way to a sainthood given the media treatment. In particular with the band of good ole boys network of player managers who masquerade as football media commentators as well - what a fricken joke that is.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

Just watched the post game presser with Mick and his interview with Richo on Ch 7 - gee he was filthy

You could here some "Oohs" in the background when it happened but as soon Mathews gave it the ok all the other hacks just fell into line.

WTF ARE YOU KIDDING ME???????
I was at the came so didn't see that rubbish....only confirms what I was saying on the last page.
Thanks Bondi for backing it up....
Sorry so sound like a " conspiracy theorist " but there was something weird going on last night (and a few other games)
just saw the MM presser....he knew too.

Gerriatric.....we couldn't get into the game in the second half...really?... We opened with a goal, no possession from the hawks meant the umps couldn't blow the whistle....any contest and the whistle would go against us....simple.
Caz couldn't take a mark in the second half...have a look at how often he was shepherded out long before the ball got there....watching on telly doesn't REALLY show whets happening.
Two marks ..Walks and Garlett last quarter. ...punched arms and head missed ball...play on....yes, we didn't look like getting a goal in the second half....btw Garlett's was front on contact also...

As I said before....it was SUS from the first bounce....just seemed to get worse second half. Ump nearly twisted a testicle running in to get a review when it looked like a point would be awarded?..and the footage was soooo conclusive.

Wake up AFL.... Looks like the Morans are guiding the umps and not the Geesh

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“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee